Recipes Made with Love for Valentine's Day

Recipes Made with Love for Valentine's Day

Prepare a meal bursting with flavour for your loved one this Valentine’s Day. Take comfort in the kitchen with these new seasonal recipes from food writer Rosie Birkett.

Mussels with chorizo, beans & cavolo nero

The bold flavours of mussels and chorizo are perfect against the mellow cannellini beans. I’m growing cavolo nero on my allotment, and it’s just such a lovely leafy vegetable to use because it stands up to being cooked with the punchy chorizo.

SERVES 2 PREP 15 mins COOK 10 mins EASY

2 shallots, finely chopped small bunch parsley, stalks and leaves separated and chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

100g cooking chorizo, skin removed and chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

100g cavolo nero, stems discarded, leaves shredded

150ml white wine or sherry

400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

500g mussels, cleaned and beards removed

1 lemon, halved

1 Gently cook the shallots, parsley stalks, garlic and chorizo in the oil in a large pan with a lid or casserole dish, until the shallots are softened – about 5 mins. Add the cavolo nero and cook for a couple more mins, then add the wine and cook for another 1 min.

2 Stir in the beans, then add the mussels, ensuring they’re well coated with the sauce, and cover with the lid. Cook for a few mins, shaking the pan to release the mussel juices, until they’ve all opened (discard any that haven’t). Scatter over the parsley leaves and squeeze over the lemon to serve.

GOOD TO KNOW folate • fibre • vit c • iron • 2 of 5-a-dayPER SERVING 596 kcals • fat 26g • saturates 8g •carbs 24g • sugars 5g • fibre 10g • protein 49g • salt 3.4g

Caramelized onion & chicory tart with Gorgonzola

Blue cheese and chicory is a classic combination, so I’ve used creamy Gorgonzola to top this tatin-style tart, along with some hazelnuts for extra crunch. This makes a really nice starter or serve instead of a cheese course.

SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 40 mins EASY

1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp butter

4 thyme sprigs

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 small onions, peeled and cut into thick round slices

2 heads of red chicory, trimmed and sliced in half lengthways

½ lemon, juiced

75g Gorgonzola (or vegetarian alternative)

1 tbsp toasted hazelnuts (optional)

1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut a round of pastry the same size as the ovenproof pan you are using, then put it on a baking sheet. Leave to chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins.

2 Heat the oil, butter and thyme in the pan until the butter has melted. Add the sugar and stir in. Put the onions and chicory cut-side down in the tin. Season and allow to caramelise for about 10 mins. Squeeze over the lemon juice, then remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

3 Put the disc of pastry on top and push it down around the edges of the pan, so it’s encasing the contents. Pierce the pastry with a knife all over to let out the steam, then bake in the oven for 40 mins, or until the pastry is puffed and golden. Allow to cool for 10 mins before carefully turning out onto a plate. Don’t panic if it sticks to the pan – you can gently scrape the pieces off using a palette knife, then set them back in the tart. Season. Tear the cheese over the top, scatter over the hazelnuts, if using, then drizzle with a little more olive oil to serve.

GOOD TO KNOW 1 of 5-a-dayPER SERVING 477 kcals • fat 32g • saturates 15g •carbs 35g • sugars 8g • fibre 4g • protein 9g • salt 1.3g

Roast chicken with oranges, chicory & spelt

This simple chicken supper can be prepped ahead and cooked a couple of hours before your date arrives, for dinner party-worthy results. The bitter orange and chicory cut through the rich chicken beautifully, and the spelt picks up the flavourful juices.

SERVES 2 PREP 10 mins plus 6 hrs marinating COOK 2 hrs EASY

4 bone-in chicken thighs, skin on

100ml vermouth

1 tbsp olive oil

2 heads of chicory, halved

2 oranges, halved

200g pearled spelt, cooked with a bay leaf following pack instructions

1 tbsp chopped parsley splash of red wine vinegar (optional)

For the marinade

3 tbsp olive oil

4 small shallots, halved

2 thyme sprigs, leaves removed

1 orange, zested and juiced

2 garlic cloves,

crushed pinch of red chilli flakes

2 tsp honey

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 To make the marinade, whisk all the ingredients together and season. Thoroughly coat the chicken in the marinade and leave for 6 hrs, or preferably overnight.

2 Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 mins before cooking. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Tip the chicken and its marinade into a roasting tin along with the vermouth. Cover the tin with foil and roast in the oven for 1 hr 40 mins.

3 Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil over a medium to high heat in a frying pan. Put the chicory and orange halves cut-side down in the pan, and cook for 5 mins until caramelised. Set aside until the chicken is ready.

4 Remove the foil from the roasting tin and add the caramelised chicory and oranges, squeezing over the juice of one. Turn the heat up to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and cook for a further 15 mins, until the chicken is nicely caramelised. Remove the tin from the oven and transfer the chicken, chicory and oranges to a plate and keep warm.

5 Put the roasting tin over a medium heat on the hob, and squeeze in the juice of half a caramelised orange, adding a little water and using a wooden spoon to scrape up any crispy bits. Cook until the juices are reduced to a sauce that coats the back of a spoon. Toss the cooked spelt through the juices, then add the parsley. Taste and season, adding the red wine vinegar, if you like. Divide the spelt between two plates and top with the chicken, chicory and half a caramelised orange to squeeze over.

GOOD TO KNOW folate • fibre • vit c • iron • 2 of 5-a-dayPER SERVING 1,092 kcals • fat 50g • saturates 10g • carbs 90g • sugars 33g •fibre 16g • protein 050g • salt 0.5g

Hake with paprika oil potatoes

I just got back from Galicia, where hake is revered as a fish for its meaty white flakes and subtle, gentle flavour. Galicians keep things simple with their fish and seafood, often serving it unadorned with comforting boiled potatoes and paprika oil (famously served with octopus). We have great hake in this country too, and I’ve allowed the fish to take centre stage with just a little paprika oil to lift it.

SERVES 2 PREP 15 mins COOK 20 mins EASY

200g potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks

2 bay leaves

60ml olive oil, plus 1 tbsp

1 parsley sprig

1 red onion, finely sliced

150ml white wine, plus 1 tbsp

2 hake steaks, about 160g each

160g purple sprouting broccoli

½ lemon, juiced

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Boil the potatoes in a pan of salted water with a bay leaf for about 12 mins, or until tender. Drain, reserving the cooking water.

2 Heat 1 tbsp olive oil with a bay leaf in a non-stick frying pan. Add the red onion, season with salt and pepper and fry gently. After 5 mins add a tbsp of white wine and cook for a further 10-15 mins, until softened, fragrant and starting to caramelise.

3 Season the hake steaks and rub with a little olive oil. Put them in a roasting tin and pour in the wine and 100ml of the potato water, along with the tbsp olive oil and parsley sprig. Cook for 10 mins in the oven, or until the steaks are opaque and flaking.

4 Cook the broccoli in salted water for 3-6 mins (depending on thickness) until tender. Season with lemon juice and black pepper. Pour the rest of the oil into the onion pan and gently warm it – you want it warm, but not scalding or sizzling. Stir in the smoked paprika, then turn off the heat.

5 When the fish is ready, toss the potatoes through the onions and warm oil, and divide between plates. Remove the fish from the water with a fish slice and put on the plates with the broccoli. Drizzle over the remaining paprika oil and serve.

GOOD TO KNOW folate • fibre • vit c • iron •2 of 5-a-day • gluten freePER SERVING 669 kcals • fat 40g • saturates 6g •carbs 26g • sugars 9g • fibre 7g • protein 34g •salt 0.5g

Chocolate orange flapjacks

To make these dairy-free, use the same quantity of coconut oil instead of butter. You still get the essential buttery crunch of a traditional flapjack, it will just be a bit more crumbly.

MAKES 12 PREP 10 mins plus cooling COOK 25 mins EASY

200g porridge or jumbo oats

120g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 orange, zested and juiced

100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

80g brown sugar

100ml golden syrup

1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a 25 x 18cm baking tin with baking parchment. Put the oats in a bowl with a pinch of salt.

2 Gently melt the butter in a small pan with the sugar and syrup. Once melted, remove from the heat and allow to cool for a couple of mins. Grate the orange zest into the pan and squeeze in the juice. Pour into the oats and stir thoroughly, until it’s all combined, then add three quarters of the chopped chocolate.

Pour the whole mix into the baking tin and press down with the back of a spoon. Press the remaining chocolate into the tray, then bake for 15-20 mins, until golden. Cut into squares and remove from the tin. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

PER SERVING 243 kcals • fat 13g • saturates 7g •

Blood orange & yogurt bundts with Campari glaze

As soon as blood oranges are in season, I use them in everything from salads and sauces to desserts. Here, the zest and juice is paired with creamy yogurt to make a rich, moist sponge. The Campari drizzle plays to the bitterness of the orange, and the cardamom gives a lovely aromatic lift.

MAKES 12 cakes PREP 10 mins COOK 25 mins MORE EFFORT V

80g almond flour

80g plain flour

80g light spelt flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 1 /2 tsp ground cardamom

130g Greek yogurt

4 large eggs

250g golden caster sugar

150g coconut oil, melted and cooled

2 blood oranges, zested and juiced

1/2 lemon

For the glaze

4 tbsp Campari

½ blood orange, zested and juiced

2 tbsp natural yogurt

80g icing sugar

You will need

12 small silicone bundt moulds

1 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Sift the flours, 1 tsp of the baking powder, a pinch of salt and cardamom in a bowl and lightly whisk together. Spoon the yogurt into another bowl with the other tsp of baking powder and stir. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the eggs and sugar for about 3-4 mins, until pale and frothy.

2 Sift half the flour mixture into the egg and sugar mix, then use a large metal spoon or silicone spatula to gently fold it through, being careful not to knock out too much air. Once combined, scrape the yogurt into the mix and fold it in. Sift in the rest of the flour mix and fold it in again. Now pour the melted, cooled oil down the sides of the bowl and carefully but quickly fold that in. Pour in the citrus zest and juice and give it a few final folds to combine. You should have a creamy, airy batter.

3 Pour the mixture into silicone bundt moulds on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 mins, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the moulds and leave to cool on wire racks.

4 To make the glaze, heat the Campari in a pan until reduced to 1 tbsp, then pour into a bowl and allow to cool. Whisk in the orange zest and juice, a pinch of salt and the yogurt, then sieve in the icing sugar and whisk until you have a smooth glaze. Drizzle over the bundts and serve.

PER SERVING 381 kcals • fat 20g • saturates 13g • carbs 41g • sugars 31g •fibre 1g • protein 7g • salt 0.4g